Phenomenal Photography

Goblin Valley

The Lore

The movie "City Slickers II" featured a search for "Curly's Gold". Billy Crystal stars in the movie and he and his friends discover a map that is supposed to lead to a treasure. One of the features of this map was "The Stone Soldiers". Well, they were talking about Goblin Valley! What an ususual place! Thousands of "hoodoos" of all different and weird shapes in the middle of the desert of Utah. There are so many awesome Navajo Sandstone formations throughout the Southwest, yet none are quite as unusual as this Valley.

Facts and Location

Secluded Goblin Valley was first discovered by cowboys searching for cattle. In the late 1920's, Arthur Chaffin, owner and operator of a Ferry on the Colorado River, and two companions were searching for an alternate route between Green River and Cainsville. They came upon a vantage point about a mile west of Goblin Valley and were awed by what they saw. An entire valley of very strange shaped rock formations surrounded by a wall of eroded cliffs. Goblin Valley State Park is located in the middle of the Utah desert in Emery County between the towns of Green River and Hanksville. From Green River, travel west on I-70 for 12 miles to exit 147 (Hanksville) and head South. After about 30 miles turn right at the Temple Mountain/Goblin Valley Junction.

Research and Gearing-Up

Goblin Valley is in the Desert of Utah. I shot these images in October of 2005 and even at that time of the year, it was Hot in Goblin Valley. There are undoubtedly creatures that dwell here, but I spent the whole day here and saw nothing but rock, sand and a few other adventurous people. Good comfortable hiking boots, loose clothing and a hat are a must. Bring plenty of water and snacks.

Here's a list of some of the Gear that I brought:

Digital SLR (Canon Digital Rebel)

Wide Angle Lens

All-purpose Lens (24-70mm)

Medium Telephoto Lens (70-200mm)

Sturdy Tripod

Bubble Level

Loose Clothing, Hat and Gloves

The Prize

The Prize of this phenomenal trip is the satisfaction of capturing the images shown here. My favorite shot of the day was the "Frog Rock". What an absolutely unusual rock formation! It is amazing how wind and rain can cause such a formation!